Fuushavillage
by Freefan1412
Summary: Luffy, Ace and the Red-hair Pirates in Fuushavillage. They lived in Fuushavillage only occasionally, but it was difficult to miss the pirates in town. That said, a crazy grandfather visiting and constant training to be anything but a Marine was normal. This the story of two little boys found their goal in piracy. AU
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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><p>The door swung open with a crack that would usually make Makino expect that bad mannered customers decided to stop by for a drink. This time however it was different.<p>

"Welcome back Garp-san", she said as a tall old man with graying hair entered her pub.

Putting down the glass she had been polishing, Makino dug out the first-aid kit from behind the bar to patch up the two sleeping kids that Garp carried under his arms.

"Sure am", he greeted while dropping the children rather carelessly on the bar.

Just one look at the boys from afar was enough to make Makino want to resent the Marine for putting two sweet children through his so called 'training of love'. But she knew better. Garp had always been like that. And it wasn't that she couldn't see the reason for it. So all she could do was to care for the boys as well as she could whenever they returned from that crazy training. If they returned, she added in thought. After all, there were times when they didn't until Garp somehow managed to produce them again during his next visit.

"What did you make them do this time?" Makino asked, before regretting doing so. For her peace of mind some things were truly and well better left unknown.

"I made them see the world from above. With balloons tied to their backs." So that was why a few a few bloody scratches looked as if they had been attacked by birds. Which they probably were.

"So how have things been here?"Garp asked before proceeding to grab a few crackers from her bar and eat them in a casual manner.

"Quiet and peaceful. Through I can't help but think that's because your ship is docked at the harbor", she replied absent mindedly, not even hearing Garp's booming laughter fill her small pub.

Seriously, she thought, if she were their mother she'd think more than twice about leaving her precious sons with that crazy, old, spartan Marine.

But she wasn't. Hell, she didn't even know if they had one.

"I'll be returning to HQ tomorrow." Makino looked up from cleaning a particularly nasty peck. "So I'll be leaving them with you again."

Makino was relived, without a doubt, but there was a problem at the same time. "With pleasure, but when will you return?"

"Don't know yet." He emptied the first jar of crackers. "But don't worry. Fuushavillage is so small and unimportant no real pirate will stop by here again. The last ones were a fluke. Bwahahahaha!" His laughing did not make Makino feel any better. Even if they were only a fluke the village had lucked out only because Garp had been visiting during that time.

"Well, please hurry back anyway." Love training was still saver than a pirate raid. And that was not considering the village. "Oh, and please let us know beforehand so that we can gather enough crackers to cover your stay", she added eying the two empty pods formerly filled with said snacks.

Garp just laughed even harder.

By now Makino was done with fixing the boys up. She had lots of experience doing so, but she'd still pull them down to the doctor to tomorrow anyway. She gave Garp a bottle of rum and started to finish polishing the few glasses she still hadn't dried. Though while the sun was still high people hardly came. They were all still working. That or they didn't know the pub was open even before the sun set.

"Garp-san, do you…." Makino started looking up from the last glass stopped however because Garp wasn't even listening: a sleep-bubble from his nose and as of now was snoring loudly as well. Though smiling, she suppressed a sigh. That habit of his was entertaining and quite an annoyance at the same time, seeing how Ace almost regularly dropped into his food and Luffy fell asleep while crossing the street. Luckily Luffy still only did that after a training session.

Makino didn't doubt however that it was only a matter of time until the 'still' turned into an 'almost regularly' and finally into an 'always'. And of course such actions could prove dangerous to two careless boys.

She picked Luffy from her bar up and carried him upstairs to the guestroom, which had turned into Ace and Luffy's own room over the last few years. There was only one bed, though. Not that it mattered with a 9 and 6 year old. She lay him down on the bed and with a sense of motherly affection ran her hand through his hair before going down to pick up the older boy. Garp was already awake again, but Makino had forgotten what she wanted to talk about. So she just checked if he was well served with one glance (he was still drinking the rum she had provided) and then picked Ace up to carry him to bed as well.

She put him next to Luffy on the bed, carefully not to upset the wounds before covering them with a blanket. Again, in the same sense of affection she ran her hand through his hair as well and then finally closed the curtains so that neither would be woken by the afternoon sun. She closed the door quietly behind her and went downstairs to attend to her bar again.

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><p>Author's Note : The next chapters will definitely come. Might just take some time since i'm writing them during my lessons.:) Also I'm a very lazy person, so even if I'm done writing one chapter it might take some time to upload, but the chapters will definitely come.<p>

Edit: 3.1.14


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Sonchou= mayor

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><p>"Shanks, we're about to arrive."<p>

Benn Beckman stood at the door of his captain's quarters and started a mental countdown until his airhead of a captain, no scratch that, his idiot of a captain 'left ' his cabin.

Benn heard said man jump from his bed with (at this point) unusual vigor and felt a hit to his shoulder while the redhead passed him yelled something about 'saying earlier' through the ship. Making half the crew winch in the process.

"Because," he started when he finally arrived on deck, "it still is early."

Benn took slight (great amount) of pleasure, in the pout on Shanks's face, which quickly turned into annoyance and then a grimace of pain.

"So you made me forget my headache for nothing?" He grabbed his strawhat from behind his neck and let it fall on his head, effectively blocking the sunlight.

"At least you did forget it." Maybe that idiot would start to think ahead of things from now on. Even if he would only think to the next morning. How did the saying go? Hope died last? In this case it would die anyway, though.

"You're kidding right? You just made it worse. Do we have anymore sake? How could I possibly survive this without some?" Benn noticed that the red-haired 'brat' complained in an extraordinary quiet manner.

"No more, boss. Since you refused to listen to me yesterday and emptied all of our provisions", he grinned," I fear you will just have to sleep it out."

"You could have saved some." Shanks pointed out while walking (curving) back into the ship.

"No can do. It was captain's order."

Shanks didn't bother to turn around just to see a very, very wide and from his point of view _mean_ grin. Hence he just continued stalking into the dark ship. And he will just notice later that Benn 'forgot' to mention that there were still some pain erasers left.

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><p>"Pirates! It's a pirate ship!"<p>

Benn heared the panicked screams as soon as he could see the village with his bare eyes.

By the time they arrived all villagers had scrambled into their houses and closed doors and windows.

As to be expected of such a remote village. Not even remotely like proper pirate defense.

He watched amused as Shanks jumped down to the dock, now with his trademark hat and his sword by his side. Not that he'd need a weapon. It was just there for appearance shake.

"Excuse me!" That was Shanks.

Under different circumstances it would be nice to see all people avoid them, but now it was just an oversized annoyance. Not because Benn was displeased with being feared. If he was, he wouldn't be a pirate. No, rather it was a huge disadvantage to the village if they didn't … well, tend to them.

Because in another few seconds the dear captain would disappear between the houses all on his own. As a result the entire crew would start a huge search and in the process scaring the villagers out of their mind.

And Benn, too, would have to go searching. Which he usually didn't. He'd just search for the biggest pub, in this village most likely the only one and wait for the captain to show up after he either was done exploring, got thirsty or in trouble.

"What do you want?" A grumpy old man stepped out of one of the houses. Disgust obvious on his face.

"We only want to restock and if possible visit a pub." Benn answered, before Shanks could blurt something like 'exploring' or 'having fun'.

"Are you the captain?" The grumpy old man asked and eyed Benn suspiciously.

"No, I'm not. He is." He pointed at Shanks with his thumb.

"Then why doesn't he speak for himself?"Even before Benn could open his mouth again the grumpy, small old man continued. He had practice, Benn guessed.

"Isn't he able to? Is he afraid? Or did he decide that he doesn't need to speak to a lousy Village Head such as myself?" The grumpy, small old man gestured with his stick as he spoke.

Benn had to admit the man had courage. Or maybe he had just lost it. Had it been any other pirate crew the village would not be standing by evening. But as it was the Red-Hair pirates, the village sure lucked out.

"Bahahaha!" Sure was the first one to break the dead – not stressed- silence. Benn was sure even the last house could hear him laugh.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that Benn here is much quicker in dealing with the important stuff." He was still laughing. No one else did. Not even the crew. They knew that Shanks might as well could have said 'I run off and Benn deals with the official stuff'. _Not_ funny.

"But you've got guts provoking a pirate like that. Doesn't make you much of a village head, though." Shanks continued highly amused.

"Hmpf! I don't need the likes of pirates to tell me that. Now what did you want?"

"What he said." Shanks pointed at Benn. Benn would bet that Shanks had already forgotten what they needed again. Everything except maybe the alcohol.

"Very well." The grumpy old village head narrowed his eyes at Shanks. "Follow me."

Still grinning, Shanks followed him along the street, absorbing his surroundings like a child that saw a toy for the first time. Benn and some of the others followed as well. The village was boring by Benn's standards. The houses looked all about the same and they were all beautifully lined up. Not even a child could get lost here. Didn't mean that Shanks wouldn't manage that, though.

Hushed movements behind shutters told him that hey were well watched. Likely by farmers armed with forks or the like. He almost snorted.

"Here we are." The grumpy old man said and stopped in front of the smallest thing of a pub Benn had ever seen in his long life of traveling. And that meant a lot.

"Tell me what you need and we will look if we have it."

"Tell him, Benn. And don't forget the price." If the old grumpy man was surprised at paying pirates he sure didn't show it. Benn briefly wondered if he was still sane before listing their needs.

Shanks had already entered the pub.

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><p>The sun had sunk and Shanks had to admit this place wasn't exactly exiting. He hadn't gone out of the village yet, though. But considering it was the East Blue, he knew of course that adventures wouldn't exactly fall from the sky. Meaning he had to go search for them.<p>

Boy, was he wrong with that. He just didn't know it yet.

Shanks sat at the bar chatting with the polite barmaid. She, compared to the villagers, had started talking to them. Well, it was kind of reasonable, Shanks guessed, seeing how she had to refill someone's glass almost every 30 seconds.

And so far his crew had emptied at least five barrels, Shanks's part wasn't small in that, though.

"I've heard the East Blue is the most peaceful of all four Blues, but isn't this over the limit?" He said. "Not that I'm complaining, but not one person seems to know how to call the marines in this village. Otherwise at least one battle ship would be shooting at us already."

"Well, Captain-san, that is not exactly right." She replied as she refilled his beer again. "It's not that we don't know how to contact the next Marine post, it's just that Sonchou-san decided we wouldn't need to make the call."

Shanks raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled and explained. "He is very good at judging people." She paused for a moment before continuing. "And, you see, calling even a single Marine usually causes more trouble then it's worth. Not only for the village."

Something seemed odd to him. Something at her story, but Shanks didn't want to bother his clouded mind to move. So he forgot it again.

"I take, it's always as quite as it was before we arrived? If you say calling the Marines is trouble." He emptied his glass again.

She smiled troubled. "Not exactly," Shanks shifted his gaze interested, "usually-"

"Makino!"

Shanks turned around on his seat and seriously doubted his eyes as something that looked suspiciously like a wild boar entered the pub.

Shanks couldn't have drunken that much already now could he? No, the boar immediately got the attention of everyone present, not only Shanks. Huh.

Taking a closer look at the boar, which approached him more and more, something caught his attention.

The boar was defeated. It didn't use its legs to walk. Instead Shanks thought he saw two tiny human legs taking one step after another. At a surprisingly fast pace. Surely he saw wrong. He had to.

Shanks faced the bar again to ask Makino for a refill. If drunk, then completely.

However, Shanks was forced to conclude that he was indeed not that drunk yet as he glanced down to his left where the boar had been dropped to the floor by the owner of the tiny limps.

A small boy, who most likely wasn't even ten years old.

"I caught dinner, Makino. Cook it please." The brat searched for the barmaid and looked around the pub. No evident reaction visible in his eyes. Which was an impressive feat since he met stares with pretty much every pirate.

Shanks noticed his matching black eyes and hair when it was his turn to be 'stared down'. The kid sure was strange.

"You did?" Makino had left from behind the bar and knelt down to his high now. "You did great." She patted his raven hair with an affectionate smile.

"Who is he? Your little brother?" Shanks doubted it, seriously.

"Sadly no." She answered.

"I'm not sharing, old man!" The boy said facing him. But he couldn't mean Shanks, right? Shanks was still young.

Shanks deliberately ignored his with laughter roaring crew.

"Old man? I'm still in my twenties, you brat!" He did not hear his crew. He did not hear them. He did not- They were part of his imagination.

"Compared to him you are, captain!" Yasopp commented, slapping the table in an attempt to stay upright.

"I'm not sharing with you either, strange hair."

Now it was Shanks's turn and half his crew was already down on the floor. Yasopp one of them. Shanks wondered if Yasopp even had heard the boy.

"Now, now, Luffy-kun don't anger the customers."

Shanks wouldn't have noticed her nervousness a few feet further away. Partly, because he and the crew were making way to much noise and partly because she was really good at hiding it.

"It's all right, Makino." He finally gasped. At this rate the boy would give him a cramp from laughing too much. Again, an impressive feat. "Well, boy, did you catch it all by yourself? That is really impressive.

"-and don't worry. I don't want your boar." He added quickly when the boy's glare intensified. The first part was supposed to be a joke. How many boar-catching boys could exist after all? (Later he would feel stupid for thinking that; he should really know better after all, even when the ground wasn't the ground anymore.)

"Almost," said the boy. "Ace helped me, so that I wouldn't lose sight of it."

Makino's head jerked towards the door but quickly looked at Luffy-boy when she didn't see whatever she was searching for. "Luffy, where is Ace-kun? Why didn't you return together?" Her eyes flickered to the looming darkness outside again.

"He fell asleep carrying his dinner, so I left him." Luffy-boy said and stared at his own dinner hungrily.

"In the forest?" Shanks was pretty sure her voice her voice jumped several pitches higher. Then again maybe it was only the alcohol.

Luffy-boy shifted his attention to her. "No, just outside the village, but can you cook now please? I'm starving!"

"Alright," she chuckled to herself, releasing her tension and patted his hair again. Then rose to her feet, "why don't you go upstairs till I call you? Or pick up Ace-kun?"

"Uh-huh." The boy nodded and turned around to leave the pub again walking through Shanks's now calmed and staring crew. But he suddenly stopped halfway and stared at Shanks confused.

"Who the hell are you?"

Shanks almost fell of his chair. "Did you just notice me?"

"Where did all this people come from?" The boy looked around as if he had just seen them for the first time. He looked even more confused with every pirate he saw.

The eyes of said pirates were nailed at little Luffy as well.

Feeling addressed Shanks answered once he got out of his surprise. "I'm Shanks. A pirate." He didn't notice Makino making gestures to be quiet and as he finished he only heard a sigh.

"What are you doing here?" Little Luffy asked not specifically interested. Had Shanks really expected a healthy reaction to the word 'pirate'?

"Drinking."

"Uh-huh." He said and walked out of the pub.

Shanks stared at the place where he had disappeared into the night for a bit before deciding that he definitely needed another drink now. The pub was unusually quiet. His crew stared after the boy as well.

"Did you say you are a pirate?"

The entire pub jumped.

Luffy boy had appeared again at the exact same spot where he had left before now with excitement sparkling in his eyes. "One of those that are not Marines?" Little Luffy quickly crossed the room to his side.

Shanks found himself pressed by a huge amount of sparkling expectations from the boy, who now sat on a chair next to him.

Makino face palmed and left for the kitchen with a deep sigh.

"Did you go on adventures? Tell me!"

There was definitely something wrong with this kid. Shanks just knew.

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><p>But please leave a comment on your way out.<p>

Thanks in advance.

Edit: 4.1.14


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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><p>"And then we set sail with our treasures. But can you imagine? We had a huuuuuuge problem. Because the gold was so heavy our sake didn't last till the next island!" Shanks exclaimed and waited for his young listener's reaction.<p>

Of course Luffy didn't disappoint.

"So cool!" Little Luffy's eyes were sparkling with a blinding intensity. His curiosity had made Shanks speak for hours now. "What did you do then?"

"Well, we sailed to the next island."

"But I thought you didn't have enough drinks?" Luffy asked, tilting his head slightly to the side in his confusion.

"We didn't."

"Then why didn't you die? I thought I'd die if I don't drink enough. Ace always gives me so much."

"It was unbelievable hard." Shanks told him, lowering his mug to be extra convincing. "But we survived on seawater. I didn't know before then, but it is quite delicious. You should try it sometime."

Luffy nodded eagerly, oblivious to the wide grins of the surrounding pirate population. Shanks himself was sure he had already cracked a few rips from trying not to laugh.

"I will, but first tell me another story!"

"Mmmm…" He drank the last bit left inside his mug and watched Luffy with a smirk. "Should I or shouldn't I?

"Tell me!" Almost jumping on his seat, Luffy could barely contain his excitement. Shanks grinned. Looked like he found something entertaining in this village after all.

"Tell me!" He almost yelled.

"Don't bother Makino-san's costumers, Luffy. It's rude," an unknown voice said. Shanks turned to the direction of the voice, namely the boar standing in the doorway. He wasn't all that surprised. With huge amusement Shanks watched as it was carried into the pub. Just this time the human legs were a bit longer.

"But Ace", Luffy complained in the direction of the walking boar, "Twenties here is a pirate!"

"It's Shanks, actually." Shanks said, but he didn't seem to have been heard.

"He's telling me funny adventure stories." Shanks observed with interest as the boar stiffened for a second as it walked up to the bar. Piercing black eyes from a freckled face stared back at him after the boy had put his dinner down. The new boy raised an eyebrow, but didn't let up on the threatening glare.

"Hmmm…." Ace-boy stared and inspected Shanks from different angles as he rounded him to stand next to Luffy's chair.

"You really are? A Pirate? An enemy of the Marines?" Again with the Marines. Maybe they had some kind of dictator at the next base? "You don't look strong at all. I bet the Old Geezer could beat the crap out of you." Shanks chose not to answer. It wasn't like his crew was shaking with suppressed laughter again, after all. It wasn't. It definitely wasn't-

"Ace-kun!" Makino's voice from the kitchen was slightly warning.

"Right…" Muttered Ace-boy with a little displeasure. He pulled Luffy down from his place next to him and bowed politely to Shanks, Luffy copying his move before quickly climbing back on the chair.

"Thank you very much for taking care of my brother. I'm Portgas D. Ace."

Ohh…. That was wrong.

Suddenly the air seemed to have run away and the pub became so quiet that Shanks was sure none of his crew was breathing.

Gol D., Monkey D. and now Portgas D. Why again had he been surprised with Luffy's strangeness?

"It's nothing. Little Luffy here is a fine little boy. It was a pleasure." Ace boy's eyes narrowed and he glared at Shanks for a second before it gave away for curiosity.

"Are you really a Pirate?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Have you fought the Marines?"

"Once or twice."

"Really? How was it? Did you beat them?" To Shank's surprise he quickly seated himself next to his little brother and watched Shanks expectantly. The noise level had quickly returned to normal. The D. As soon as that sunk in there was really nothing to be quiet about anymore.

* * *

><p>"Shanks, you meanie! Seawater doesn't taste good at all!"<p>

A smirk lifted Shanks' lips as he enjoyed the sight of an agitated brat standing in the door way, sticking his tongue like he tasted something bad. Which he had, but that was beside the point.

"Of course it doesn't, Luffy. It's all salty." Ace, sitting with Benn near the door, said with clear irritation. His voice almost didn't reach Shanks over the howling laughter of his crew; Shanks being one of the people producing it.

Said noise had become a regular occurrence disturbing the peaceful village during afternoons and nights since the Red Hairs had arrived. And more often than not Luffy was the cause of said amusement; much to Ace's annoyance as Shanks felt rather clearly by a glare that became more and more threatening. And, while Shanks couldn't see it from where he was laughing, he could sense how Benn's smile grew wider the more the angry brat he had talked to before stared. Damn Idiot…Shanks was going to pay him back. See how Benn liked the protective brother's promise of death.

Luffy stormed over to him, climbed on the chair and drank a glass of juice fast, all the while glaring daggers at Shanks.

"It didn't taste good at all." He finally announced in a loud voice.

"Really?" Shanks asked, feigning innocence very unsuccessfully with a grin still tugging his lips the wrong direction. "Maybe it tastes better on another island," he added with a hopefully thoughtful expression. That, however, was quite a challenge with enough alcohol in the system to usually knock two fully grown men out. Shanks was used to such amounts, though and apparently his poor acting skills had been enough to fool young Luffy.

The little part of his brain that was still working was once again fascinated how Little Luffy could turn his mood 180° in less than a second. And sure enough the question came again.

"Then take me with you next time." Sparkling eyes and a smile that could potentially outshine the still high sun almost blinded Shanks. It was adoring -

Shanks gulped.

Then again, the now very much intensifying murderous intent sent courteously by a certain other boy was definitely not.

"Oh…" Shanks faked surprise. "So you want to be a pirate?" In the back of his mind a voice whispered how a new D on the seas would surely make things interesting again. Not that Shanks would take him along, but still…

Luffy stared at him with empty eyes and it took Shanks a while to understand that he was thinking. It took an even longer while to understand why: While they had similar discussions often, this was the first time that Shanks had asked if Luffy wanted to become an outlaw.

Three bottles and a cracker later Luffy finally returned to the living. "I don't know." A small frown had appeared and Shanks took it in with surprise. It was the first time Luffy showed he was able to make one appear.

"But I know I won't become a Marine." He declared with determination, the frown gone as fast as it appeared.

"Uh-huh." This village had a serious Marine-complex. "Why no-"

"What was the best meat you have ever eaten?" Actually Shanks had wanted to finally find out what it was with this village and Marines, but that could wait. Moreover so, since a certain death glare had just disappeared at the same time as quiet snoring appeared.

Huh… Creepy.

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><p>Shanks had been telling Luffy stories for few hours and the sun had long since sunk beneath the sea. It was only thanks to an unexpectedly huge supply of alcohol that Shanks' throat was not destroyed yet. But…Luffy had questions still.<p>

"So did that monster like you then?"

"No, but it was still pleased to let us pass."

"Amazing!" And Little Luffy had once again trademark sparkling in his eyes. "I wish our meat wouldn't run either." Luffy wiped away some drool as a dreamy look took his attention away from Shanks. "I could eat so much more…"

Shanks took a sip and smiled at Luffy's far-away expression.

But still, how lucky he was. No Marines, no-longer-panicking villagers, first class entertainment. He would never have guessed when entering the East Blue.

"Shanks, have you seen a flying crocodile?" Luffy looked at him now, but he still had a slightly dreamy expression. "Crocodiles and birds taste best. So a crocodile with wings must be the best of all."

Crocodiles?

"No, I haven't." Luffy's smile dropped of his face like a stone in water and disappointment took the sparkle in his eyes. "But that doesn't mean they don't exist," Shanks hurried to add. Snoring had stopped after all.

Scary, how Ace noticed his brothers mood across a very loud room full of people while taking to Benn. Taking, when he was't napping, that was.

And, despite so many loudly chatting and laughing pirates, Shanks still heard the light and dreadful footsteps of a child. Steps, that were too fast for a kid that age.

He swallowed hard as the steps came to a sudden stop right behind him. Surely Shanks had imagined Ace coming over to them. Luffy was smiling after all.

"Come on Luffy, we still have to go to the forest today."

Apparently he hadn't.

Shanks watched till both boys had run out of the pub to turn around to Makino who was washing plates and had her back turned to him. He had noticed her stiffen at Ace's words, though.

"Why are they going to the forest every day?" He asked, trying not to show his disappointment through his voice.

Straining her neck to look at Shanks from the corner of her eye, she didn't smile like she usually did; smiling at everything at everyone.

"I'm not sure", she admitted sighing, "but they go there daily and usually spent most of their time in it. It changed since you came here." She sent him a grateful but still sad smile. "They hunt their dinner, as I'm sure you have noticed, but other than that I don't know." She sighed again and turned back to washing dishes.

Shanks waited for her to say more about this suddenly uncheerful conversation. "I asked once, but didn't get a straight answer. Both used to come back with bruises and cuts all over, though."

"And their parents allow them?" Not that he thought such a thing existed, but exceptions are supposed to exist after all.

"Both Ace and Luffy don't have parents. Only their grandfather comes over once in a while."

"Why don't you talk to him then?" Did Shanks hear things, or did she just snort.

"He is even worse." She told him with a dark tone of amusement in her voice. Shanks guessed as much. Ds never had normal families, Shanks knew, so it wasn't that much of an unpleasant surprise that Luffy and Ace fell indeed perfectly in line with that rule.

"You know, the boys go into the forest every day, but sometimes they disappear and don't come back till weeks later. It drives me crazy, because I never know if maybe this time they are gone for good." Shanks could tell, she wasn't sure if she should have told him all that, so he tried his best to be ease her worries.

"But they do bring back the animals for dinner, right? What else could be dangerous to them in there?"

"Accidents can still happen and some animals aren't exactly normal. In the deeper parts monster-like ones live, dangerous enough that even hunters don't go after them. And they are still small children. Just 9 and 6 years old."

"Mmmm." Shanks refrained from mentioning that age hardly mattered with them. Just one look at Garp… He shuddered. "If you want, I could go and take a look."

Makino dropped the plate she had just been drying and looked at him with shock. Did she think he was too barbaric to care about two cute little boys? Not to mention said 'dangerous' animals.

"You can't… I mean…" She stuttered completely caught off guard.

"Now, Makino, a bit faith please," Shanks teased amused, "you couldn't possible think that wherever creatures that are looming around could possibly be a thread to I, an infamous pirate, now could you?"

She visibly recovered from her surprise and knelt down to pick up the shards.

"That's not what I meant, Captain-san," she explained, "we just shouldn't bother you with our problems. You are customers."

"Did you think I wouldn't care about Little Luffy and Scary Ace?" Shanks stood up. "Besides your village is such a good host for a crew like ours, we wouldn't mind at all to pay a little of you generosity back." He mock bowed to her, hiding his hurt pride perfectly.

"I… It's…."

He didn't wait for her to fish the sentence and left the pub in an equally sour and exited mood.

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><p>Here is the next chapter. Took quite a while again, but there was nothing I could have done about it. It's my final year in school and I have to pay much more attention now than before (sadly).<p>

It was fun writing this chapter, the D is always reason to be different after all. Hope I didn't give it too much of an importance, though. It is not supposed to be the D that makes Luffy and Ace interesting to Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates. It is only a bonus.

I hoped you liked the chapter, because I think, i might have changed my writing style a bit.

Edit: 4.1.14


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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><p>"Oi! Boss, where are you going?"<p>

"Spying on the brats," Shanks answered while Yasopp was still catching up with him. He hadn't stopped and was following the main road of the village to the forest. Now walking through it, he once again admired its tranquility. Normally Shanks wasn't a fan of calm and boring, not to mention that every quiet place did not stay quiet once Shanks arrived, but this village was an exception, if only, because it wasn't as boring as it wanted to appear.

Two Ds….

That little fact was still more present in his head than every other triviality.

"Spying?" Yasopp hiccuped almost interested. Despite the darkness and Yasopp's from alcohol flushed face Shanks spotted a sparkle of adventure and fun in his sniper's eyes. The very same, that often drove Benn crazy when present on Shanks' features. He smirked.

"No, Makino just mentioned that there are supposed to be some interesting beasts here."

"Oh?"

"But more than that I really would like to know what they do in there day in day out."

Yasopp hiccuped and took a sip from a bottle he had brought along in response. "I've got a son their age, you know," he told him. Shanks knew that of course, but said nothing. It was one of Yasopp's favorite things to tell. "Hope he is not wandering in a forest alone, though."

"Well, it's your son," Shanks said as they exited the village and stepped into the forest on a small wild path that was hardly visible in the night, "if you would have gone, I'm sure he will as well."

"Don't say things like that, Captain," Yasopp whined as he freed himself from some very sticky plants. "Now I won't be able to sleep in peace."

"Sorry about that." Or not. Shanks was ready to bet that by morning Yasopp healthily brag about his son, who surely had inherited his skills, again.

Too busy navigating through total darkness Shanks didn't listen to Yasopp complain and nag about how Shanks didn't pay him any mind, which obviously was true.

It was admittedly dark between the tress; he couldn't even see his own hand; no star or moonlight shone through the thick leaves of the forest.

Had he been anybody else he would doubtlessly have run into countless trees and other forest stuff and consequently would have alerted every living creature within a mile of their presence. Not that it mattered if he did, anyway, but for principles sake he tried to be quiet.

Behind him Yasopp stumbled surprisingly quiet over dangerous roots as well. Being as it was, though, Shanks was not satisfied. Shanks was there to look for two brats and an adventure. Whatever he found first. Hopefully the latter.

Eventually Yasopp tripped for real and cursed vividly with his great pirate vocabulary. That was until Shanks gestured him to be quiet –dark or not didn't matter. Something was there. He hoped it was an especially dangerous monster that could amuse him for some time, before he made it his pet or dinner.

Whatever it was, was still some time ahead of them, but definitely there none the less.

"Do you hear that?" He should have known better to ask a drunken man for his opinion. Though, to his credit Yasopp only used one more foul word before stilling half seriously.

A loud thump sounded through the forest and something that sounded suspiciously like a growl quickly followed. Then nothing. The forest returned to being deadly silent. Only now Shanks thought it to be rather eerie. Just his thing.

With a wide grin he Shanks stated moving in the estimated direction of that very promising noise. All thoughts of searching for two little boys had all but been wiped from Shanks' mind.

That was at least until he heard rustling and rather loud voices coming from just ahead.

"What do you reckon that is?" The darkness be dammed. It didn't stop Shanks from just knowing that Yasopp smiled in that way. A smile his entire crew had perfected to an art and was only used when Shanks had clearly missed a chance to get himself – and them by default- into trouble. It was a mixture of pity and gloating.

"I'd say we might just turn around now? Seeing how we found the brats."

Shanks hated it when they were so gleeful. But being Shanks, he didn't give up this easily. He might just turn the tables on Yasopp and have him thank him later for dragging him along to whatever source of entertainment there is in these woods.

"You don't know that," he stated protesting, "maybe it was just-" Shanks cut himself of when his finer-than-natural ears identified full sentence from the voices that had come much closer.

He could just see that stupid smile on Yasopp's face.

"Yes, Luffy, I know," came the slightly muffled and annoyed voice of brat No. 1, "but more than we already do and the crocodiles will die out. That means no croco-meat again. Ever."

"But~"

"Quit your whining. It won't help."

The two of them had to be passing by Shanks and Yasopp just about now, but it was too dark for them to see anything.

"More importantly, we have been slaking off. Starting tomorrow that will stop. Got it?"

"But I want to hear more funny adventure stories from Shanks."

"He won't just disappear only because you stop bugging him every waking hour." Shanks noted with a lot of amusement that Ace's irritation jumped when Luffy mentioned him.

"Ready?" Yasopp asked after a while when they no longer heard the brothers bicker.

"Sure, whatever." As they strolled down the path they came, following that brats at a respectable distance Shanks smiled fondly. A snort from Yasopp broke the unnatural silence in the forest that had settled after both boys had left.

"You got yourself a fan, captain."

"Alongside a brother complex the size of the Grand Line." It didn't bother him in the least, though.

* * *

><p>Had he not known better, Benn would have said they were currently drinking in a bar on an island on the Grand Line. Unfortunately for his sanity, however, he was still not quite drunk enough and did indeed know that they weren't on said ocean.<p>

So he watched now mildly terrified how the child that had a more colorful vocabulary than the average pirate and Shanks' new follower of a little brother carried a fully grown Crocodile through the pub's door, dumped it at the bar and started whining for food; loudly in both cases.

Benn was horrified to think what would happen if those two and Shanks put their heads together. Shanks was bad enough alone, but with the aid of two monster brats, who also happened to be D's, and who in turn, by the way, were never ever known for their sanity and common sense, no matter what ocean they tormented at the moment, the world might just not survive.

Clewing on his cigarette, Benn didn't want to think about the endless headache. They hadn't teamed up yet, so there was no need to think about consequences…Hence he really shouldn't think about the act in the first place. He really shouldn't.

Just as Shanks spent his time with Luffy, a major part of Benn's in the pub was occupied by the elder of the two brothers, who always provided him with as intelligent a conversation as possible when the other party was a nine-year old. But not this time. Instead of strolling over to him Ace sat down next to his not-so-helpless brother and continued a discussion they apparently had started before they had returned to the pub.

The conversation, if it could be called such, consisted of much talking on Ace's part and pouting or beaming on Luffy's. He idly wondered what, other than Shanks and his stories could hold the smaller's attention this long, when said captain and Yasopp in toe decided to grace them with their presence. Benn nearly had to do a double take. Shanks hadn't caught any trouble, didn't decide on a new mascot and sure as hell didn't seem to be ready to drag him along for whatever idiocy he had come up with now.

Just to be sure he glanced outside to the night sky, confirming, that no, the world wasn't ending just yet.

What the?

His captain peacefully wandered over to the two brats, who now had finished their conversation, sat down next to Luffy, easily ignored Ace's glare, ordered a new drink and entertained his fan. Completely and utterly disregarding any evil intention from two seats over. It was either courage or lack of fear, Benn reasoned.

Having nothing better to do Benn slowly walked over and and made the number of people sitting at the bar a grand total of four.

"Oh? Is that so?" Shanks asked just as he sat down with two raised eyebrows directed at Luffy.

"Yeah!" The boy in question nodded vigorously as he confirmed whatever they have been talking about. Would you look at that. Seems like it almost turned around. Luffy telling, Shanks asking. "A few days. Ace said we have to." His face dropped to gloom at that point. And Benn used his pause to glance at the elder, who was, without a doubt, still wishing Shanks to hell. He didn't even acknowledge Benn's presence.

"But you will still be here when we come back?" Luffy now had an incredibly adorable pout on his face and Ace's killing intent increased tenfold. Shanks didn't seem to notice however, since a sly, playful smile tugged his lips; invisible to everyone, who didn't know Shanks as well as he did.

"Mmmm~," Shanks pretended to think about his answer. Benn knew perfectly well, that Shanks didn't plan on leaving anytime soon."I don't know-"

Benn chose that moment to interrupt his captain's game with a cough. Maybe he had acted just in time. Luffy's pout had grown more pronounced, his eyes turned big, round and watery, while Ace's face was shadowed and Benn could detect a dangerous gleam in the boy's eyes. Not to mention that his murderous aura had become visible to the plain eye.

Shanks gave him a questioning look, knowing that it absolutely wasn't Benn's style to cut him off. Benn replied by staring at Ace who had turned his back to him. Shanks followed his look and did a remarkably fast change.

"But I'm sure we can wait with our next voyage till you return." Their entire exchange didn't even take a second.

Luffy cheered up, returned to his usual behavior of demanding food from Makino while questioning Shanks for new stories. Ace's glare shut down just as fast to it's usual level. He turned to Benn with an impassive face.

"You just saved his life," the arrogant brat informed him in an even voice.

Benn sighed resignedly. These children were in the wrong place. They belonged to the Grand Line. And even there they would have been strange.

* * *

><p>It has been quite a while since the last chapter. I'm sorry, but i just couldn't sit down to write. But anyway, here it is.<p>

Please review on the way out. :) And thanks for last chapter's.

Edit:4.1.14


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>Just as the brats had announced the next afternoon, or morning depending on who was asked, they weren't in the village and, as expected, said assembly of buildings had suddenly lost it much of its charm. It had turned into your average, quiet, peaceful and boring East Blue village.<p>

How pathetic was that? Depending on two children to keep tourists in town? Not that he minded, though, peace and quiet was something that happened way to rarely to the Red Hair Pirates.

Sadly, though, the peace everyone else did happen to enjoy every once in a while was not exactly what Shanks fancied. And what Shanks didn't like didn't stay long. Utter destruction of one kind of another usually replaced it within the blink of an eye.

Benn was still wondering how he did that sometimes.

However back to the point Benn came to the unfortunate conclusion that said destruction was not good at the present place. Why? Well, seeing how the crew and ship were next to a mass of normal humans and an equally normal village built of wood, who and which would not survive the chaos Shanks usually came up with.

Benn was pretty sure Shanks knew that, too. Though, whether he cared or not was a different matter altogether, mind you.

But still, how come the stupid red hair of a captain came running towards the village screaming his lounges out and with an avalanche of dust following, which was definitely not out of his own production?

Sometimes Benn wondered why he even bothered.

* * *

><p>On a certain mountain in a certain country near a certain city there stood a rather simple wooden house. The house was nothing special except, maybe, that it was, compared to Fuushavillage's buildings, big. Two stories high, with a red roof and a few added rooms. It was a nice house. Surrounded by a nice forest. Perfectly made for vacation.<p>

At least at first look.

The front door was thrown open with a bang and the peaceful air disappeared shortly after as curses were grumbled, yelled and in some other ways vocalized.

"Yo, Dadan!"

"Hey. We are here again."

Curses, that were in no way appropriate for the impressionable ears of children still stuck in the first decade of their lives.

Stomping was heard from deep within the hideout while the sun was still rising over the tops of trees and shortly after a door flew open revealing a female with orange curls and a body build that would make people assume the person was male. The middle aged woman still wore a nightgown, her face was set in an impressive scowl, though.

"Brats!" She snapped loudly, prompting more doors to be opened, even the last residents to awake and other members of Curly Dadan's thief-group to poke their heads into the largest room in the house. Some broke into small grins and smirks, which they quickly hid after a look at their boss. "What the hell do you want!"

She was being ignored as Luffy and Ace strolled into the place, not bothered at all to be surrounded by dubious company, and dragged a deer or two in behind them.

After they had dumped the fresh meat on the floor, with Ace dropping beside it and falling asleep, the youngest turned his big eyes pleadingly at the only female in the house. "I'm hungry, Dadan," he complained whining.

The boss' face twisted in rage. "Hell if I care!" Dadan snarled, crashing the door closed behind her as she retreated from the room loudly spewing insults which were heard very clearly even through a thick wooden wall.

Back in the room Luffy was apparently not at all bothered by the apparent dismissal as he sat down on the ground, too, poking a finger into his nose and staring into nothing. Dogra knew, though that he was only waiting for Dadan to finish changing and make food. Luffy and Ace were partly predictable like that, luckily.

Already awake Dogra and a few others decided to join the waiting and sat down as well on the formerly sparkling floor. It had been a while since the two brought food so no one was willing to possibly miss their part in favor of sleep or laziness.

"What are you doing here," he asked, a bad sense of foreboding suddenly coming over him as he thought about a possible reason that could make them visit out of schedule. "Didn't Garp visit just a few weeks ago?" Usually the crazy old Marine was what made the two come to visit. And dear God, Dogra sure hoped the idiot was not visiting again. The back wall of the storage room was not repaired yet.

But maybe Luffy and Ace just came by to hop down to the city to play with this mysterious Sabo child they occasionally talked about.

Yes, that had to be it. Garp had to work too after all. He couldn't be back already.

Positive; he always had to think positive.

That said he was not so sure he wanted to know what the hell made Luffy sparkle like that. Oh, why did he have to ask? In most cases whatever either of the two boy found fascinating or interesting or funny or cool was to them in one way or another lethal.

Even the friendly neighborhood cat that Ace brought back once.

It had been a vicious tiger the size of a small elephant with fangs larger than the daggers of their own arsenal.

Ace had wanted to keep it as a pet and let it stay with them when he was down in Fuushavillage.

Granted, the beast had ended up as dinner since it wasn't tame at all, but the idea had still stuck and visited the Dadan Family's dreams regularly.

So Dogra thought it was understandable that he withstood hiding under his dictionary just barely.

"Pirates are in Fuushavillage and Shanks told me of his adventures!" The young boy exclaimed, while being way too excited about a potentially dangerous situation and Dogra might have become worried a few years back. But not anymore. Nowadays every one of their little Family was perfectly aware that Ace and Luffy completely lacked what his precious book named Common Sense. And they were insane enough to survive it, too. More so than the members of the Dadan Family.

So instead of panicking, he asked simply what the pirates were doing there.

"Being a pain in the ass," Ace mumbled, now awake again.

Thankfully Dogra was spared form knowing more when a door was crashed open loudly and Dadan appeared, still screaming insults, and directed them to work.

So that the brats could get breakfast before they decided cannibalism wasn't as bad as they thought yesterday.

* * *

><p>Ace bounced from the head of one crocodile to the head of another, ignoring the startled gurgles that drifted to the water surface when he did so, with Luffy following dutifully behind.<p>

He thought it was amazing that the animals had not yet decided to relocate with how often they were used as stepping stones. Literally. Of course he didn't mind it, since thanks to that he always knew where to find some food.

After they had crossed the river and Luffy had caught up with him again, his thoughts turned more and more towards the Grey Terminal.

And he wasn't the only one. "Do you think Sabo will be there?" Luffy asked, for once not beaming from ear to ear as he had done ever since that stupid pirate had appeared.

For any other reason (except the shitty Gramps, of course) Ace would have welcomed his brother's change in expression. Since that would have meant that Luffy was not thinking about the idiot red-hair and his stupid tales.

He couldn't stand that man. Really. Who did that man think he was? Appearing out of nowhere and poisoning his foolish little brothers brain with even more stupid ideas than he already had. Not that Ace was any better with forming ideas, but they did not need outside help to cause a tiny little bit of trouble.

"I don't know. But hopefully he got away from his parents for once. If not we will have to visit him in the city." He answered. Again. Luffy did always ask the very same question whenever the two of them climbed down to the Terminal and Ace always gave the very same answer even though lately his real thoughts were more along the line of 'no, he won't be there, we got to sneak in', but he didn't want to say that out loud, because then he would acknowledge that Sabo had problems with his family, which meant that he might be unable to come to the Terminal or even walk in the Lower City one day. And that the two of them might never see him again.

Because even they were unable to sneak into the upper city. Damn prison.

"I hope he is there," Luffy continued as they raced through the forest and Ace agreed with him, because he hated that he couldn't see Sabo whenever he wanted. They were brothers, so why couldn't Sabo be with them?

"I want to tell him about Shanks." Ace's mood dropped.

"And I bet Sabo will want to meet him, too." He felt his eye twitch. "Do you think he will come with us to Fuushavillage then?"

"No." A curt answer. Ace noted that his hands started hurting from digging his fingernails in them, which made him almost stumbling over a root from not paying attention. He slowed down then as they were about to reach their destination at the foot of a large tree.

"SABO!" Luffy yelled up to the handmade small house sitting up in the branches.

For a long moment nothing moved and Ace was almost ready to grab his iron pole and stomp right through the front doors of that despicable city when something yellow moved at the top of the tree and a bodiless voice called their names. A few seconds later a mop of blond hair climbed out of the thick leaves and Ace's face split into a real smile for the first time in days.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>"So what happened then?"<p>

"Shanks said they kept it as a pet."

"Really? Have you seen it?"

Luffy frowned while Ace snorted undignified from the railing. "Of course he hasn't shown him anything. As if he could keep such a monster from swimming away without tugging it to the ship."

"Well, I guess that's true."

"But Shank said so!"

"Don't believe everything that idiot tells you, Luffy. He is making fun of you."

"He is not!"

"Yes, he is!"

"Is not!"

"And I'm telling you he is!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES, HE IS!"

Sabo whacked them both over the head with his rod and stomped it on the ground for emphasis as both boys glared at him with Luffy tearing up a bit while holding his head. "Shut up you two. Ace, what does it matter it matter if this Shanks exaggerates a bit? Luffy, you have to remember that not everyone is as honest as you are."

Ace continued to glare for a moment before huffing and turning away and doing what Sabo would describe as sulking, but what Ace called 'keeping justified silence'.

Luffy on the other hand knit his eyebrows together and screwed up his face in a grimace that Sabo associated with 'Luffy' and 'thinking'. In the same sentence.

"What means ex-ag-art?"

Sabo blinked. Of all the things... "It means to tell things a bit more exiting than they were."

Luffy's face lit up. "Oh!"

His smile fell again. "What were we talking about again?"

Ace's eye twitched.

Sabo grinned. "You were telling me about your new Pirate Friend in Fuushavillage."

Luffy beamed, happy at the very thought of talking about Shanks, not hearing and Sabo ignoring the low growl from the corner of their hideout.

"They have this big ship. And it is red and much cooler than those in the harbor here! You have got to see it, Sabo! Will you come see Shanks with us?"

The dark aura in the corner grew stronger and Sabo patted Luffy on the head, smiling. "I don't think I can, but don't you want to use up your chances for the day? The bet still stands that if you can beat Ace or me, we will treat you lunch and dinner in the city for an entire week."

"All right!" Sabo's little brother ran to Ace's corner and grasped his own staff from the wall, shoving Ace's in his face with his other hand. "Come on, Ace! I'm gonna defeat you today!"

With that the littlest boy swung over the railing and dropped from branch to branch on his way to the ground.

Sabo smiled when Ace followed him, yelling, and overall happy.

* * *

><p>Hours later Luffy was forgetting to pout on the sidelines, while Ace and Sabo were yet again fighting the last match with a score of 49 to 49.<p>

Clang! And Sabo's rod was twirling through the air, impacting against a tree and falling to the ground.

"Ace won again, Sabo!" Luffy announced happily and marking a final line on Ace's side of the scoreboard.

"That means I get to pick what we are going to hunt today," Ace panted, grinning and pulling Sabo to his feet.

Sabo grumbled something under his breath and went to pick up his weapon. "What do you want to do then? I'm telling you right now, I had fish for the entire last week. There is no way you can get me to even look at one today."

Ace smirked, an exited gleam in his eyes. "Actually I'm thinking more along the lines of mixed menu."

Sabo's eyes widened, grinning like crazy, while Luffy jumped up and down, already drooling.

* * *

><p>"Shut up, Luffy," Ace hissed, pinching his little brother's leg hanging over his shoulder.<p>

Luffy giggled once more, then finally shut up, and just in time as the city guard closed in, eying them, as always, suspiciously, despite almost looking more suspicious than them himself with his dirty uniform, hairy face and stench that made Ace glad to have a cloak hanging over his face.

"What do you have this time,_ Sir Hoody_?" The fatty sneered, not waiting for a reply and already lifting the old rotten blanket covering their prey on the even more rotten wooden cart.

The guard gasped, stumbling backwards and falling on his behind with a sweaty pale face.

Luffy snickered.

Unfortunately the guard seemed to have heard him this time and glared hatefully. "Did you say something, bastard?"

Sabo coughed once, twice, thrice. "No, I apologize, Sir Guardian, I just seem to have caught a slight cold. Nothing to worry about."

Ace pinched Luffy again, this time in warning as he was shaking with suppressed laughter.

The guard glared some more, struggling to heave his mass up only to finally resort to use his spear to help.

Ace bit his lip to keep from snorting himself.

"If you would excuse me then," Sabo attempted a small bow and Ace had to take a small step forward to keep the balance, "I fear the market will close if we don't go soon."

Ace staggered forward, step after step with their cart creaking behind him until the city's gates slammed close behind them and they retreated into a save alley.

Luffy burst out laughing, Sabo snickered and Ace snorted.

"Did you see his face!" Sabo removed the cloak, jumping to the ground and holding his stomach. Luffy was much less graceful, downright slipping from Ace's shoulders and rolling on the floor, in tears from laughing so much. "How can that guy always be so funny?"

Ace snickered before quickly pulling himself back together. "He is an idiot, but we really have to hurry. The Old Man doesn't buy from us when we are too late."

* * *

><p>The three brothers stood in a shabby back alley before a dirty, run-down wooden door which only opened only after almost ripping it down by knocking too hard.<p>

Starring down at them was a gruffly, balding, overweight old man, a pipe stuffed between his lips and white fog curling out of the door behind him.

He took one look at them and his expression of annoyance quickly shifted to one of sick interest as fast as his pipe from one corner of his mouth to the other. "What do you brats have now?"

"Fresh bear," Ace told him, pulling the ragged cloth away from their cart and revealing a ten foot bear. "We didn't break the teeth this time."

The Old Man, whose name was way too complicated to remember, hummed appreciatively circling around their cart and inspecting the goods; lifting an eyelid here, poking at the teeth there, inspecting the paws then and generally taking his time.

By the time he had inspected half, Luffy was jumping up and down on the spot from boredom, Sabo had dozed off against a wall and Ace was glaring holes in the Old Man's skull.

By the time he was done Luffy had joined Sabo, leaning on his shoulder to sleep, Sabo had woken up again and was trying not to move from his job as pillow while Ace had replaced glares with imaginary daggers and was twirling his staff dangerously between his hands.

The Old Man had noticed.

He cleared his throat, chewing on his long since burned out pipe, pulling out a ragged handkerchief and wiping away sweat that had smeared his face from moving as much as he did.

"Not bad this time, brats. I'll give you half on top of last time's."

"No way. This one is at least worth three times as much."

"It's not. Better than the last, I'll admit, but not much."

"Are you blind! He is almost double in size plus he still has the teeth you wanted so much, you Old Ghule!"

The Old Man's eyes flashed in anger. "Double or nothing. Take it or leave it."

Ace glared. "We'll leave. Come on, Sabo, Luffy. There are other dealers we have to go to."

Sabo gently shook Luffy and the younger boy rubbed his eyes groggily, blinking and looking even more clueless than usual, but he quickly got lively again when he saw they were leaving, not at all concerned or simply having forgotten that they had wanted to sell the bear Ace was pulling behind him. Ace felt his lips curl upwards.

Deliberately slowing when they neared the corner Ace waited, counting on the inside.

Ten more steps.

Nine...

Eight...

Five...

Three...

Two...

One...

Zero.

"Wait!"

Bingo!

"What?" Ace turned around, throwing Sabo a smirk on the way which he returned before going back to entertaining Luffy. "Do you still want something? We are in a hurry you know."

Ace was glared at, but he skillfully ignored it, and returning fire only with a look of bored annoyance.

"Two and a half."

Ace grinned, just barely resisting to gloat. "Deal."

He took the offered money, gleefully counting and leaving the Old Man to struggle with the weight of the cart as they were already disappearing into the maze of streets. "Lets go eat!"

"I want Ramen, Ace!"

But because they had already left the three brothers didn't notice the hateful glare thrown after them or the greedy smirking or hear the scratching of feather over paper.

* * *

><p>"It is an honor to welcome a Nobel such as yourself within our humble business once again." It was lucky a hood covered his face or otherwise Sabo feared the disgust on his face would frighten the waiter groveling at Ace's feet away. "Please let me show you the way; only our best will be presented to you."<p>

Sabo squared his shoulders. "Naturally. You wouldn't want to make me regret choosing this place." Unwilling as he may be, there were some things Sabo had picked up from the higher society; the thought of his what his parents would think should they find out what he used his 'skills' for made up for it, though.

"Of course not, your Grace, we'd never dare to think such."

Now Sabo didn't reply, leaving the conversation hanging and the servant sweating as Ace set to moving again.

They followed the nervous man a single step of stairs upwards and all thoughts of nobility and their issues flew out of his head when a plenty of servings were revealed behind a fancy double winged door.

Sabo absently waved his hand, to dismiss the witness as Ace stumbled forward and Luffy's stomach growled loudly. The door fell shut behind them and Sabo didn't wait a second to pull their annoying cloak off; finally free to throw himself at the delicious food presented for them.

The nervous waiter retreated, squirreling to his Boss' office and reporting in a stuttering voice that 'it looked awfully real'.

* * *

><p>Here is chapter 6. I'm sorry to have made you wait so long, but i just couldn't think very SaboAce/Luffy like lately and the words just wouldn't come to me. Now I have managed though and this Sabo and Ace p.o.v chapter is finally finished. I don't think I'll ever write something from Luffy's thoughts; it'd be way too hard to put into words.

I think this chapter has a bit of a different tone to it, so please tell me if it doesn't fit or something.

Please review and thanks for last chapter's. :)

Edit: 4.1.14


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>"Burp!"<p>

"Bu-rp!"

"Bu—rp!"

Luffy giggled. Ace grinned. Sabo burped again.

"All done? Then let's get out of here," Ace commanded, dropping a little bag filled with coins on the table.

Sabo draped their cloak around his shoulders, efficiently hiding his stack of blond hair.

Luffy pushed the widow open, poking his head outside. "No one there!" And he jumped out, a thump signaling his contact with the ground two floors down. Ace followed, almost landing on Luffy as the younger had forgotten to move. Sabo left last, his figure appearing much more impressive with hood shadowing his face from the flickering light of torches on the main street and cloak smearing his form in the shadows.

Luffy was oblivious as to why Sabo always got to wear the super-awesome-mystery cloak when they were leaving –more often than not after sundown-, but should word about Sabo get back to the Upper City –or rather his parents-, he might become unable to see them.

That was more than unwanted. For more than one reason.

As it was however, the three brothers had no trouble sneaking through the alleys.

"I'll be going, then," said Sabo, unwilling to do exactly that.

"Yeah," replied Ace at the same time as Luffy shouted, "No!" The youngest was quickly shut up with two hands landing in his face.

They did not want any attention.

"I try coming back soon, Luffy," Sabo said, patting Luffy's messed up hair. "Be careful on your way back."

"You too. I stand by my opinion that the wolves out there," Ace pointed with is thump in the direction of the forest. The one he and Luffy were still going to cross tonight and where howls were currently coming from, "is a lot friendlier than the Upper City."

Sabo grinned. "I totally agree."

"Why don't you come with us then, Sabo? Dadan wants to see you," Luffy protested, whining.

He didn't get an answer. Instead Sabo disappeared into the streets only turning around to wave once. Then Ace took his hand, pulling him in the direction of their secret exit of the city.

They didn't notice the bird circling above.

* * *

><p>"We're back! Dadan!"<p>

Predictably only silence greeted Luffy's enthusiastic greeting.

"Dadan! Dogra! Magra! We are back!"

There was a very quiet noise from the left room. Probably a pillow thrown against the door. Some coughs and grunts and half asleep curses from the back.

Looking satisfied now, Luffy happily dashed to the stairs leading to their room, stomping innocently up like an elephant.

Ace strolled after him.

"Ace! Hurry!"

By the time Ace and Luffy went to bed the entirety of the Dadan Family had awoken.

As usual.

"Say, Ace, why does Sabo never come with us?"

From the corner of his eye Ace glanced at Luffy, who was lying buried under his blanket, pillow at the other end of the room from his sleeping habits.

"I don't know," Ace mumbled back, sullenly. He didn't understand Sabo's decision either, but Ace respected it. Just because Ace had no love for his father did not mean that Sabo didn't. Not to mention that Sabo had a mother. Mothers were, in Ace's experience, more likable than fathers.

Soft snores from his right alerted Ace that he didn't need to think about another answer either.

With a tired sigh he went to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next day Sabo wasn't at the tree house and only Luffy and Ace beat each other up with their sticks.<p>

* * *

><p>Nor was he there the day after that.<p>

* * *

><p>Or another two days later.<p>

* * *

><p>On the sixth Ace and Luffy headed back to Fuushavillage.<p>

* * *

><p>Much to Ace's displeasure, he saw a certain ship still in the harbor long before he and Luffy even set foot into the village. His mood dropped.<p>

It reached a new bottom line when Makino's pub was the loudest thing happening in the village and when Luffy skipped back, full of energy and …happiness.

Still down the street Ace heard the bar howl with laughter as Luffy announced their return. Ace did not hurry to follow. He did not necessarily want to see the red headed idiot again.

By some stroke of surprisingly good timing Ace was saved from the entire crew's annoying presence for some more time, when he slowly started feeling all fuzzy in his head and his body felt heavy. When he blinked his eyes didn't open again until the sun was already on its down path. And that was the good news.

Ace awoke to a bunch of pirates staring him in the face. Grinning, drinking, laughing pirates. On reflex he took a step back. Moving, though, Ace decided then had not been the best choice of action as it alerted them to his fully conscious state of being.

They found him very fascinating. Studying him in something that Ace supposed was pirate solemnity.

"Oh, he's awake," one said, words slurring.

"S' true," squinted another.

"Quickly! What time is it?" Demanded the least drunk. "Boss will claim the bet didn't count otherwise!"

"S' just short of four… I s'ppose." This one almost fell from the effort of trying to look upwards at the sun.

"Four o'clock…Four o'clock," mumbled the sanest, leaving. "That makes… from Jack… to Benn…" He held a notebook in his hands and was scribbling down some things with a broken quill.

Ace got Very. Angry. Very quick.

* * *

><p>"Ace woke up," Luffy announced unnecessarily as soon as loud screaming, which hurt all those with hangover plenty, and gleeful laughing penetrated the pub's own noisy air.<p>

"That he is," Shanks agreed easily, turning in his seat and leaning his elbows on the bar to get a nice view for when a doubtlessly steaming little boy was going to enter.

There was a crash. Some impressive choice words and more screaming. And another crash.

Then new voices were added to the conflict.

Shortly after Ace came stomping in. His face lined with black ink where some mature men had played connect-the-dots with Ace's freckles.

Shanks wondered if that was what made him explode or if it was the bet only. He hoped it was the fact that his face had been used as playground. Otherwise there was still another eruption waiting to happen.

"Hahaha! Ace!" Luffy, laughed. "You look funny!"

Uh-oh, Shanks thought as Ace's face shadowed.

"What are you talking about, Luffy?"

Damn, Shanks thought, that was no to the already-knowing theory. Worse yet, Ace spoke in his Very Dangerous voice. To Luffy. Not that the younger noticed, but that wasn't the point. Shanks hid a mix between glee and a grimace behind his empty mug.

"Your face!"

"My face?" Ace stomped with his very impressive dark aura over to the next best table, pulled a sword out of a scabbard and stared at the blade, which reflected his beautifully doodled glare back at him.

Immediately the killing intent went up a notch or two and Ace didn't bother returning the weapon. Instead he stormed out of the pub, which was deadly quiet -except for a laughing Luffy- in a tense mix of anticipation and apprehension. With a sword as tall as Ace himself in his hand, the boy left and half of Shanks' present crew scrambled behind for the entertainment factor. Watching grown men get slaughtered by a ten year old was not an everyday occurrence and couldn't be missed.

Shanks grinned as the terrified screams and crashes and clashes and yells filled the peaceful village and drifted in through the door. Shanks loved his life.

"-did you, Shanks?"

"Sure I did. Wanna know how?" He asked, despite having no idea what his little fan was talking about this time as Makino filled his mug up again. "It went like this…"

Shanks messed around, telling outrageous tales and adding to the truth just a bit, far past the time when the screams turned to painful whimpers and when Ace strolled back inside, talking with Benn, before, once the sun started to set, dragging Luffy outside by the rim of his shirt to go look for dinner.

He grinned, looking after them.

Yes, Shanks really loved his life. And his time in East Blue in a supposedly peaceful village drinking day in day out in a bar, getting served by a beautiful barmaid and being entertained like you won't believe by the antics of a too mature brat and a star struck fan, who put serious thought into becoming a pirate one day, was great. And despite the fact that he had been prepared to count his days once the big brother found out about that particular idea, he was much surprised when Ace didn't fly off the handle.

Shanks should have known it was too nice to last. Karma was a bitch that way.

It all began one day a couple months later with a letter that arrived strangely in the late afternoon hours rather than the early dawn.

Makino took one look at it and paled. Just a bit.

Politely she took it from the delivery man, thanking him once again, which, Shanks noted interestedly, implied frequent deliveries.

There was an 'urgent' stamp on it.

She took one look at the address, before she started chewing her lip and let her eyes flutter to the seats Luffy and Ace usually occupied, but were empty now as the boys had taken yet another 'training trip' a couple days ago.

Hesitantly, looking not unlike she expected the piece of paper to blow up in her face, she opened the rim and peeled a singled piece of paper out.

She exhaled, tense, and probably not noticing she had at least half the attention of every pirate in the pub by now. She turned the envelope, searching for something, then looked back at the letter that carried only a few words.

She paled some more.

Then she looked at him, opening her mouth to say something when the doors of her pub were loudly forced open. By the snout of a bear that wouldn't fit through the door. No matter how much the two boys underneath pushed and cursed with the nice words they had picked up from the crew.

"Ace! Luffy!" Makino called, relieved and not at all admonishing them for their foul language. Shanks, in his alcohol induced haze, noted she even had dropped the –kun she so persistently employed.

Shanks swallowed a full gulp and turned in his seat as Makino hurried past them all out the door the boys had vacated in their attempt to run the bear inside with a bit of a head start.

As always all eyes were focused on the door, awaiting entertainment. Meat in Lucky's hand snapped as he tore of another mouthful, grinning like a loon. Yasopp toasted to thin air. Benn just watched, switching his cigarette form the left corner of his mouth to the right.

_"What!"_ Twin voices screeched, reaching a height that would soon be able to scatter glass. Shanks was intrigued to noticed the voices carried a big amount of terror in them. "Why?"

"The Shitty Graps was just here! … a week ago or so!"

"Yeah! Doesn't he have better things to do?"

"He can't be back already!"

A pause where Makino presumably said something.

"Shitty Gramps!" Ace cursed again.

Then there was some shuffling and soon Makino came back inside, visibly relieved. No children in sight. And no attempts to fit a too large bear trough a too small door.

He wondered, already amused, what they were getting up to now, because there was no way the two boys would give up their food to get inside.

"So," he asked, "who was that from?"

It wasn't like he was butting into their business when she didn't want it, it was simply that asking didn't hurt.

And it didn't really. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"From the boys' grandfather. He said he is coming by for a visit. Again."

"And?"

"It's not like the boys don't like him, it is just that he is a Marine and always forces some kind of gruesome training on them when he comes by."

"Is that why they have such an obsession with everything not Marine like?"

"Yes. Garp-san always says he trains them for when they enlist as well." She said something more, but there was something about that last statement that caught Shanks' attention, and his sluggish mind was incapable of two timing.

Garp-san.

Garp…

_Garp…!_

He promptly spit out his drink.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

><p>"<em>Garp<em>! What do you _mean_, Garp?"

It was as close to panic as Shanks could ever come. The stressing of his words was more than enough warning even had Shanks not just spit perfectly good beer out.

It was perfectly understandable. And he had not been the only one. Benn had dropped his cigarette. Lucky was forgetting to eat. Yasopp was sliding of his chair.

Everyone's eyes were wider than healthy and they all went reflexively to the door as if expecting the nightmare of all pirates to be standing just right there.

Makino blinked in surprise. "Are you familiar with him?"

"_Yes!_... No…. I mean are we talking about the same Garp here? Monkey D. and Vice Admiral?"

"Yes," Makino nodded, swiping up the mess Shanks had made and too relieved about the boys' escape to notice the unusual change in mood. "I don't know much about his work, but Monkey D. Garp is right."

Shanks groaned, and not form the hangover. Of course. It all made so much sense right now. Who else would raise monster children? "They don't even have the same name," he tried in a feeble attempt to deny reality.

"Ace and Luffy are brothers, but only Luffy shares the name."

_Of course._

Shanks heaved a sigh. Benn snorted. The crew burst out laughing at their own misfortune.

Benn got up, waving and the men all staggered to their feet more or less stable.

"He's coming for visit? Garp? For how long?" Shanks asked, taking the fine sake Makino handed him with much thanks. Garp…just..._seriously_.

Makino frowned in thought. "I don't know. It depends. But never more than just a few days. Has work, he says."

"I bet," Shanks grumbled, thinking of the good old days...

Maybe it was a bit funny after all.

"Will you be coming back?" She sounded hopeful at the thought and Shanks smiled automatically in response. She had grown attached to them after all… "The boys would like it. Even Ace, though he does try to hide it."

"Sure thing," Shanks said, getting up and seeing the ground sway. "Wouldn't leave a single drop of alcohol behind."

She smiled. "I better request some more from the next traders then."

* * *

><p>Not hours after the Red-Hair Pirates' ship had left harbor a big blue ship arrived, armed to the teeth as always and welcome-but-not-for-long-please-the-poor-boys. Marines Headquarters Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp the Fist stepped from board, laughing, which sent chills down the spine of a certain pair of brothers who were currently running for their lives deeper and deeper into the forest and up the mountain.<p>

To the villagers' credit, they didn't even blink when he carried (again) two bundles of balloons that would make every other child happy. They also didn't bit their tongue when Garp asked, all happy and insane, where his cute little grandsons were. Nor did they blink when Garp routinely wondered if they had been bothered by pirates or other scum. No, they quite bluntly told him the reason some fences and walls looked new was because Ace had had a temper tantrum and Luffy had been thrown through the air a bit. The Vice laughed at that, seeing nothing unusual.

As far as the villagers were concerned nothing worth of note had happened since the last time the crazy grandfather had come by. Nothing at all.

Garp skipped off happily and yelling for his cute little grandchildren, two fists full of the second round of 'flight training'.

* * *

><p>Ace and Luffy were overtaken by a tiger at least five times the size of both of them.<p>

They ran faster.

The white eyes and the bulge on its head did not look well. Luffy was trying hard not fall back on his crybaby habits from the looks of it and Ace was thinking they had better put together a damn better strategy for the next time.

Now it was a bear.

The bear looked fast and fluffy.

Ace ran at it, taking Luffy by the hand and digging his other hand into the fur. Got a ride. One that was providing nice cover with long hairs. Ace pushed Luffy's sniveling face deeper to the bears back, hoping against hope, that the Monster wouldn't find them now.

The bear ran, not noticing it passengers. And ran and the forest got louder, louder, trees were crashing to the ground; both boys trembled in fear and the bear ran faster. A tree flew past them. And a snake the size of a house, terror in its eyes. Another tree. It hit the bear and their ride fell to little more than a flea covered carpet.

Ace and Luffy pressed a bit deeper into the fur yet. Maybe there was a chance…

Laughter.

They shivered.

With a jerk to their shirts Ace and Luffy were pulled out of hiding to be held up into the smiling, graying visage of the monster they called their grandfather.

"How cute to play hide and seek with me. Bwahahaha! Have you missed me so much?"

"Shut up," Ace yelled, trying hard not to show how afraid he was as he, in sync with Luffy (who was trying more not to cry than not to be afraid), hit the bright face dead center.

As expected, it didn't work.

Grap grinned some more, before throwing them into a tree. Ace cursed, violently, appreciating his growing vocabulary. Then he ripped out the tree and threw it back at the old man. "Don't hit Luffy! Shitty Geezer!"

Garp punched through the wood like it wasn't even there. "Call me Jii-chan!"

"Shitty Geezer!"

With that routine out of the way it turned into their usual catch-me-brawl, which meant that Ace and Luffy were trying their hardest to outrun the monster or hide or get a dirty hit in just to pay back (because it wasn't like anything would hurt them) and with the loving Grandfather coming after them with Very Hard fist that he called 'fist of love' for some utterly insane reason.

It ended with a good part of the forest being evened out yet again and two black haired children covered in scratches and bruises.

The fun part wasn't over yet, though, and all three of them knew it, no matter how much Ace and Luffy, half conscious as they were carried under the old man's arms, wished it to be.

No, the shitty geezer had, as Ace realized mortified, tied his new favorite training equipment to a tree to wait for use there. Ace put an elbow with all power he had into the old man's ribs and pulled out some harder insults.

Ace and Luffy did not like to go flying.

"Stupid Jii-chan!" Luffy yelled in tears as goodbye when he floated away. "I'm gonna be a pirate! Just you watch!"

"What!" Garp demanded, thunderstruck and Ace, who had only mildly accepted the red-hair's influence on his beloved little brother until now, got a gleam into his eyes that intensified to amusement when Luffy got away unpunished due to the increasing high. Take that Shitty Geezer!

The dark gleam did not leave even as he was tied to his own personal bundle of balloons.

There was a storm coming.

Grap, looking after his grandchildren, looked at the dark clouds than shrugged, unconcerned. It was stage two, of course it'd be more difficult.

And, well, they'd be fine.

…

The old marine didn't think to consider the strong winds usually accompanying dark clouds.

Or the lighting.

Or maybe he didn't care.

* * *

><p>Sabo's eyes were forlornly staring at the window. It was closed, of course. And not because of the storm brewing. (High City deserved to drown in it.)<p>

Eventually clenching his teeth, he ripped his eyes away from the rain and forced them back to the notes spread over the desk he was forced to sit at. There were eyes watching him and he had to at least pretend he was studying.

Pretend.

Had to be a good son.

Unwittingly, his gaze found the sky again soon and his thoughts wandered far, far away, to the outside. To freedom.

To his brothers.

How were they doing? Were they missing him yet? Were they worrying?

Sabo didn't know.

But he hoped.

He hoped Ace was telling Luffy that everything was alright and that Sabo would be back soon. The young blond boy could see it in front of his eyes. How Luffy was pouting, how Ace was irritated, how they waited for him at the tree house. How they caught enough dinner for three every day. How they returned back to Dadan after a few days…

(How they wandered further down to Fuushavillage, how Ace got jealous of the pirate captain, while Luffy was laughing and crawling into Ace's bed every night.)

But he also hoped they thought of him, hoped they knew Ace's reassurances were empty and how they worried about him and how they were missing him. (Hoped, a forbidden hope, a fruitless hope, that were coming for him.)

Even though Sabo mustn't want them to.

Because they had to be save.

But Sabo wanted home. (Where the heart was.)

* * *

><p>Luffy yelled outraged, kicking, screaming and punching, but his little legs were to short and his arms not long enough and with a loud bang one balloon popped, making Luffy drop a few feet.<p>

The birds screeched in surprise, backing away and, lips quivering and heart thundering in his chest, Luffy rubbed tears _that weren't there_ away, relieved that those stupid animals left him alone now.

But then they circled around and attacked again.

Luffy yelped, swinging his limps though the air.

His eyes watered again and he bravely called for Ace and Sabo and he wasn't really, really hurting and cold in his tummy.

(He _wasn't_ crying. He _wasn't_ sobbing for Ace and Sabo. He _wasn't_ lonely.)

* * *

><p>Ace cursed the Shitty Gramps with all his vocabulary and then some. The Shitty Geezer! The damn idiotic moron.<p>

Flying lessons his innocent black little heart.

And as if that wasn't enough Ace had gotten separated from Luffy. Gramps was so going to get it next time. It was going to be violent.

That was for later, though, as right now Ace had to focus on landing. And soon, as Ace had no interest in drifting out to the sea and the sea was beginning just behind Goa Kingdom over which Ace was currently floating.

Expertly, with lots of twisting and struggling, Ace pulled a couple of strings from his back. He eyed the colorful balloons, disliking them even more now, and that was saying a lot since Ace had never been a normal happy go lucky child. Biting down on the string and gnawing on it Ace's thoughts drifted to Luffy once more and he swore again he would beat the crappy old man up. Luffy was too young for this deranged training.

That train of thought carried him to his other brother and Ace started worrying about Sabo, too. Sabo hadn't come to the tree house even once since the last time they had seen him almost two month ago. It wasn't like Sabo, who always felt like he was suffocating in the city.

Ace glanced down. Then he bit through another few strings and his stomach pummeled as he almost fell out of the sky.

Landing on the ground was just a bit painful, but point was that he had landed in High City. Inside the walls that were impossible to overcome from the outside. At least currently, Ace considered. When he and Luffy got a bit older, then they'd be able to sneak into High City, no problem and visit Sabo every day. If Sabo actually bothered to stay that long with the nobles. (Sabo hadn't called them family or home in a long time.)

Which brought him back to the point. Ace was suspicious by raising and from the facts he had, he very much regretted being without his weapon of choice as he hid in the shadows.

High City, Ace found much to his disgust, was _disgusting._ The streets were without a speck of dust, never mind dirt. The people, as far Ace could see from his sneaking around in side streets and the shadows, were not his favorite sort. Then again, aside from Luffy and Sabo no one was his favorite sort.

They were all more or less dressed the same and had the same high-nosed attitude. Literally. Absently, Ace wondered if they all had the streets memorized because they couldn't watch where they stepped with faces tilted to the sky like that.

He paused, and then mumbled curses under his breath. Ace had no idea where Sabo lived. High City or not, it still was a city. And way too big for his tastes. Not to mention the high walls. High City seemed like a prison to him.

Ace decided. Sabo was coming with him now. To Dadan at least. Best to Fuushavillage and Sabo wasn't going to return.

But for that he had to find Sabo first.

And the fastest way to do that was…

Well. Ace had never been one to care for other people's …concern.

* * *

><p>Edit: 4.1.14<p>

I have revised and edited this chapter very much because it didn't fit with the story anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

***I have significantly edited and removed and replaced some parts of the last chapter today, because I had to rearrange the scene flow. If you haven't already, go back and read it again.***

* * *

><p>The day after, long before midday, the fine nobles were all in frenzy, gossiping and scandalized that someone could have dared to break into half a dozen houses and steal food and other unimportant things that they could replace within the blink of an eye, from honorable and superior people like themselves.<p>

Hidden up in a tree and overhearing just such a conversation, Ace snorted, tinkering a bit with the things in his hands. These people deserved being messed with; maybe he should do it more often.

The little object in his hand snapped and Ace grinned, satisfied, as he looked at the bundle of identical items. His grin turned evil in anticipation. Jumping down from his branch Ace startled the women standing around there, before dashing off into the streets.

He dropped the oldest of his little things in a front yard, evil smile growing, and ran off, dropping more and more of the little presents he had created along the way. He had an entire city to cover and what could be better than not actually walking and searching every square himself and instead drawing the target out? Sabo in this case would be the only one still able to move, probably.

Ace spent a moment mourning that Luffy wasn't along with him here and worrying for the clueless idiot, but he had faith that Luffy would be alright for now. He was a crybaby and weak, but he was _Luffy_. He'd be alright.

Sabo wouldn't. Ace was sure.

Done with his work, Ace jumped up a roof, watching and waiting, ditching the pathetic overweight guards that had started to waddle after him. Not long after, the first screams reached Ace, as at the same time a gray haze started rising from one part of the city.

Ace sat and waited, holding a hand over his face in a vain attempt to keep the foul stench penetrating the air out. Windows, all previously wide open, were slammed shut, though from what Ace had seen so far he had no doubt that it was too late for the Nobles' stuck up noses to be saved.

Some fainted surely, some might even die even though there is no poison mixed into the dung bombs at all. If they did, Ace thought darkly, they deserved it.

For these spoiled people the smell was ubearable. For Ace, who spend a great part of his time at Gray Terminal, it was only mildly unpleasant. Same for Sabo. The chaos would ensure that no one was going to be able to follow him, or even notice him disappearing (at least for a while).

But, a dark voice whispered in his head, that was only if Sabo _could_ leave. Or if he wanted to.

Sabo had said how much he hated High City. A few times, but…what if something held him here? If it didn't, Sabo would never have voluntarily come back. Especially with Luffy begging him to come along with them.

Luffy usually had Sabo tied around his little finger, the idiot, unlike Ace (who was not being sarcastic; it was the truth. Really!).

Ace didn't understand that; why Sabo still returned back to this place? It was disgusting and made Ace's hair stand on end.

His gut told him that Sabo didn't really _want_ to come back here.

Ace had been ignoring that gut feeling for a long time, letting his brain have the saying. Ace knew he was not the best of judges when it came to family matters after all. (Besides Luffy, who was _his little brother_.) Sabo on the other hand had had grown up here with very present parents. And wasn't it supposed to be that parents love their children? (Not that Ace knew.)

He didn't believe, had never believed that Sabo was really happy in this place, but there had been a chance- a chance that Ace was wrong. And he didn't want to take that from Sabo.

Ace grimaced as a strong breeze blew the gray, stinking haze right into his face and away from the town. At least so much that it wasn't visible anymore. It still reeked to high heaven.

Ace really was very proud of his plan. It had only taken him a few hours to come up with.

But in any case, the young boy had things to do while he had banned all the bastards into their houses.

With that in mind, Ace skittered down the tiles of the roves, hit the right timing and jumped to the next.

* * *

><p>Sabo bit hard on the inside of his cheek. For not having had to urge to laugh in a long time, this sudden attack was difficult to deal with. He pressed his lips together as he watched the his mother and father and adopted brother looking and mostly behaving like they were about to die.<p>

They were holding perfumed (stinking a lot more than anything Sabo had ever smelled, Gray Terminal included) the size of bed sheets to their faces to not breath in the mildly offending air that could be a lot stronger still for Sabo's tastes. (But sadly the Nobles had smacked every door and window close the second they caught a whiff of it.) It wasn't even very notable in the air; it was almost overshadowed even by the amount of perfume and incense that was put into the air on an average day, never mind this 'emergency'.

Served them right.

Sabo still wondered where the smell came from. He didn't think it was as easy as the wind turning and blowing Grey Terminal's fumes into High City. Horror seeping into his schooled expression, Sabo spied a number of corrupt servants carrying what looked like a giant incense burner and he shot from his disgustingly soft chair (dining room, bing enough to put an entire house into it).

The three nobles turned their eyes to him. (Though they had tried to ignore his existence before, the hypocrites. When it was them blackmailing him.)

Far the most horrid thing was still the words leaving Sabo's lips as he asked to be excused and retire to his room. They twisted his tongue and burned his mind.

(Sabo wanted home. He wanted to be able to laugh and grin and yell and say what he thought.)

(He wanted to be free.)

(He felt like he was suffocating.)

A guard followed him every step to assure he wasn't running away again.

* * *

><p>Ace wasn't stupid.<p>

But with unmotivated bandits raising him, a grandfather far more interested in making good and strong Marine out of him, and Makino already being bothered by him enough, he wasn't all that good at reading. And his vocablularly included more swearwords than not.

He still felt stupid as he struggled through a register of names that he had liberated from its secured storage a couple hours before.

The dim light wasn't helping.

Having found a barrel after a long time of searching for a hiding place. This was the best he had found. With the lid half removed, sunlight only barely reaching between the houses, the black lines of ink were difficult to identify.

Ace took comfort from knowing that Luffy would be helpless in his situation and that he only needed to look for one name. He only hoped there wasn't more than one Sabo in High City. (Though he knew tha in the end that wouldn't matter anyway. Ace was not going to leave without Sabo and if he had to search every house.)

Thoughts of Luffy automatically made his stomach clench. Luffy was weak and a crybaby and he was helpless on his own and a trouble magnet on top. What if he had drifted out to sea? Luffy was bad at swimming.

The hard feeling in his gut only got stronger and Ace tried to console himself.

Luffy was good at sticking things through and and wriggling away from trouble and he'd be fine. Flying with balloons wasn't the first time after all and they had survived worse. (Gramps was still going to _regret_ it later. Ace felt fury burning through him; he tried to ignore it.)

Gritting his teeth, Ace climbed to his feet and out of the barrel, taking his makeshift weapon in form of a mop from the place he had leaned it against the wall.

There was only one Sabo in High City.

And Ace was going to leave with him.

And then they had Luffy to find. Before he found them and possibly brought down the island in search of them. Luffy was useless along, but when he had a goal, hell and high water wasn't going to stop him and Luffy didn't like being without his brothers _at all_. The crybaby. (Ace was never going to get used to the warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest.)

So Ace, with Sabo, would find him first and not let him be lonely enough to do something stupid.

_Sabo first_, Ace thought, a dark look entering his eyes, a smirk coming to his lips.

Never had it be said that Ace was nice. Or kind. Or understanding.

* * *

><p>Far away, over the open sea a little boy was meanwhile still struggling to keep mean birds away from his balloons even as he was hungry and thirsty and no island in sight and was that another big, dark and evil cloud?<p>

* * *

><p>In the moody place of his mind that tended to do the thinking when Sabo or Luffy weren't near, he noted viciously how amazing it was that such stupid and incompetent people held any amount of power.<p>

Ace didn't understand it.

In his opinion Garp didn't belong anywhere near a position of power either, but at least the man had the strength to back it up where his brains were lacking.

Not so much here. Ace jumped from roof to roof with little trouble, only sometimes struggling with the distance, and no one, not anyone actually came to look to what made such noise. Not guards or security personal and definitely not the house owners.

It suited Ace just fine.

The houses were tall and big and not every had a good way that allowed him to be not seen to climb to the roof. Besides, it was easier to find take the direct route than to wave through streets that he had never seen before and would never see again all the while dodging windows.

Plus, rooftops were more fun. And easier to damage. Ace was not careful with how many tiles he destroyed and pushed down and dislodged by skittering and jumping on and over them.

It took a bit confirming and a bit searching for the right street and then the right number, made more difficult from his position on the roofs, but Ace eventually found the right house by the time the sun set and the air was cleared from the dung bombs.

More cautiously now Ace checked through widows. To his eyes, the insides all looked much the same. Everything was ugly and so painfully clean and organized and detailed and disgusting and...alien that Ace couldn't even tell which rooms were in use and which weren't.

If he felt the need to break into a house he always did it through a back door or an abandoned, dusty, preferably storeroom.

The random thought struck him that Nobles might not have such things and that all rooms were in fact always in use and not just kept clean for the sake of it looking nice when no one ever even so much as looked at it.

Ace snorted.

Then as he checked through the next window, a wide grin split his face and he enthusiastically knocked against the window, not seeing the armored and armed guard present in that very room as well.

* * *

><p>Please do drop a review on your way out. :)<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

* * *

><p>There was someone crouching on his window sill f<em>rom the outside<em> and grinning at him. Sabo stared. The freckles, the smirk. Everything said it was Ace who was looking at him in return and looking like he was seriously considering how to break the window best from his position.

Sabo stared.

Somewhere along the line he forgot how to breathe (even though a smile was reflexively tugging at his lips).

Despite what it felt like, only a few seconds could have passed when the guard (babysitter, watcher) who had not left Sabo's side for pretty much all of the last few months (stalker!) moved, cursing at Ace (calling him filth and what not that made Sabo's blood boil and teeth clench), intent to harm Ace clear.

Sabo's stomach dropped somewhere into his (disgustingly neat) shoes even as Ace's glare narrowed at the armored man in that look that he got before a brawl.

It was instinct (one he was very happy about), almost, for Sabo to scramble form his chair and take first weapon he got his hands on to back Ace up. That meant in this case to whack the man who happened to be more than twice his size (and who wore a helmet) as hard as he could over the head with his high quality chair.

The chair broke and the man slumped to the neat carpet.

It felt incredibly good and Sabo grinned for the first time in month a toothy smile before he stepped on his watchdog to reach the locks on his window. "Ace!"

Ace grinned. "Come on! We are leaving."

Sabo joined Ace outside, still reeling from seeing his brother here. In High City! But before he could open his mouth to ask, Ace already skittered the roof down, jumping at the edge and landing on another house. They were four stories above ground and Sabo couldn't stop his grin from widening.

He followed, a bit insecure from his damn lack of actual moving in the last months, but still, even as he scrambled to find hold (and not fall to his death) on the new, steep roof, it hit him hard how much he had missed this. This doing what he wanted. The fun, the danger. His brothers.

Sabo laughed happily.

(Forgetting as easily as he is escaping what had kept him in his personal hell in the first place.)

For now.

* * *

><p>There was nothing like a good fight every once in a while. Even Benn, rational as he was, was convinced it was good for the soul to beat a lot of people up at least once a month. The Red-Hair Pirates were doing exactly that. Some wannabe crew had crossed their path as they did a weekly tour away from Fuusha.<p>

It had been a slaughter. For a good few minutes and now the crew that had outnumbered them two on one was sprawled over deck, railings and masts moaning and groaning in pain or totally out of it. It had been a slaughter. Committed by a five men.

Benn shouldered his rifle, puffing a bit of smoke as Yasopp went to work on one of the good number of treasure chests in the loosing Captain's cabin. Looked to be good 'payment'.

"Oh," Yasopp whistled appreciatively after the lock had clicked. "Would you look at that."

"I see more to spend on drinking."

"Same here."

"You do the others and I'm gonna tell the Captain that he can stop torturing the poor other captain now." And what torture it was. Self-created by Shanks to be as humiliating and maddening as possible. It included lots of talking.

Benn stepped out of the cabin onto deck, shielding his eyes against the sun, intent on aiming for Shanks, who was near the railing laughing.

But Benn didn't actually get much further than the sun-shielding part before he dropped his tobacco again in the span of two days.

Benn blinked.

Then he turned around to Yassop. "Hey sniper. Mind taking a look at that and tell me what you see?" He pointed at the sun.

Yasopp squinted his eyes at him, questioning but did as Benn asked. His mouth fell open too. The he rubbed his eyes and stared for a second. "Oy, is that….?"

"I kind of hoped my intoxicated state hadn't worn off yet," Benn admitted. "Hey boss. We got a visitor!"

"Yes!" Shanks exclaimed, dropping the poor man who had been forced into his company, and looking too happy at possible fighting than normal men should. "Where?"

Predictably his eyes went to the sea.

Benn would almost laugh at him, were it not such a reasonable assumption. "Not that kind. Real visitor. Who needs help. Look at the sun."

Shanks did, his strawhat tilting up and shadowing his eyes for a good view.

Back on the Red Force the men heard and looked up, too.

Benn felt somewhat comforted that he wasn't the only one having that same reaction in two days.

Shanks laughed, sounding just as insane as Benn always suspected him of being. "Someone get him down there! Yasopp!"

Yasopp didn't need to be asked twice. The sniper took aim. And shot. Once, twice, six times. The balloons all popped and Luffy free fell who knows how many feet, screaming and panicked.

Lucky caught him at the rim of his battered shirt.

He was crying, looking pathetically like the normal child he was not. No one could blame him. And up until the moment he realized where he was he sobbed for Ace. And Sabo. Who or what was a 'Sabo'?

It was plenty of alarming that Ace was not with the younger, though. Especially since Luffy was so obviously demanding his presence. (It was more surprising despite the circumstances that Ace wasn't there rather than the other way around which should be the logical thing.)

Then Luffy noticed he wasn't floating in the air anymore and was instead in the midst of his favorite people he brightened. The turnabout from crying depressed to sun blinding bright was quite frankly more a sign of insanity than everything else.

"I'm gonna be a pirate!" He announced, determined, after he had wiped away all snot and blood along with strange blackness. Why did his hair spike like a hedgehog's? It almost looked like he had been hit by lighting. But no, Benn told himself, even Garp wouldn't set children flying with a storm looming… No he would. "I'm going to be a pirate."

"That's fine and all," Shanks said, patting the boy's head and subtly checking him over for worse injuries. Apparently he didn't find any (of course, Garp wouldn't be that stupid), because he asked pointedly, "don't you need to find Ace first?"

Luffy's eyes bulged and he went into a panic, again doing the same mood-turn in reverse and he started cursing at the 'stupid Jii-chan' and how he was going to beat him up the next time. With that one sentence he confirmed all the suspicions the crew had had and Benn just shook his head at idiotic powerful men.

Shanks laughed heartily, making an announcement. "We have a brat to find, guys!" It was a two days journey back to Fuushavillage. Luffy had put a lot of distance behind him in the days they hadn't seen him.

* * *

><p>"I told you this was a bad idea."<p>

"Shhh!" Ace hissed. "Shaddup. Or do you want them to find us?" Sabo couldn't see his brother but it felt like Ace shifted to press his ear better against the barrel's planks to listen. The only sound Sabo could hear any more was their breath and his heart beating painfully against his chest. But not as painful as his next words.

"...I have to go back, Ace."

The knee against Sabo's stiffened and he didn't need eyes to see how Ace would be all tense and have that glower on his face he always had when he didn't like something. Angry and more stubborn than a bull. "Forget that! I'm not letting you. To a place like that-"

"I have to," Sabo cut sharply. If he talked about this, he would lose his determination. Sabo didn't want to go back, never, to that scum, but between that and his brothers' lives... It wasn't a choice. He could never let something happen to them.

Ace didn't let it go, his voice becoming more upset and hurt and Sabo didn't want to- "No! You don't. Not for someone like m-" Sabo didn't miss the slip and the familiar churning of rage in his belly stirred, even as Ace didn't stop. "Don't listen to them! They got nothing on me."

Sabo did his best to ignore the hate he had at the world for doing this to Ace, because,"...if not for you, then at least think of Luffy. We can't let them get near him. He is still so weak and our little brother. We have to protect him from this...I have to do my part and you the rest."

It was a cheap shot to argue with Luffy, but Ace would never accept anything else. He'd never think that he was worth protecting as well. So if Sabo had to use Ace's brother complex to get him to be save, then-

Sabo knew his words sunk past that stubbornness when he felt Ace slump.

* * *

><p>"- didn't look at all like Fuusha," the young boy said between bites. He hadn't had anything to eat either since he had been sent flying. Four days ago. "The ground looked really dry. And it was really hot. And I didn't want to land there." He drowned a whole mug of water in two seconds flat. "But Ace said I should always go down on the first land I see. But I didn't want to and then there were so many clouds again and I didn't see anything anymore and it was getting cold. And," here he teared up, showing that apparently he was quite a crybaby when pushed that far, "Ace wasn't there and I was alone and the birds were getting mean and Sabo wasn't there last visit. And some other cloud stole Ace in the beginning and then there was only water and the birds were so mean and they always tried to pick my balloons but there was only water and Ace said I'm not allowed to land in water."<p>

He looked so helplessly sad, crying crocodile tears and his words degrading to Ace this and Ace that between the sniffles and swallows that no one could get themselves to tease him.

Were one to really think about what Luffy was telling, then one would realize that it was sad. Shanks was not one to tease when the timing wasn't right. And right now it wasn't.

By this point Luffy had devoured everything the cook had made for him and turned to searching around for food around the room and still talking despite the fact that he had probably half way forgotten that someone was listening to him. "And then I thought 'who cares about land', but stupid Ji-chan tied them too hard. And then there was this big black cloud again, but I didn't want to go into another big black cloud, because the last one was really mean ticklish and it didn't stop tickling after I left the cloud. I didn't want to go in a black cloud again and I was hungry and the rope looked more tasty than the balloon. And then," he said between bites, having found some anything from some crate to eat apparently, and finally turning to look at his audience again, which was somewhere stuck between horrified, disbelieve and humor. "Yasopp shot me down. That was soooo cool!"

"Damn straight it was." Yasopp boasted, "I can blast the antenna off an ant. You ain't gonna find talent like me anywhere again."

"What about that son of yours? I thought he had inherited all your talent and then some." Lucky wondered around his piece of meat that he had just pulled out of his pockets. "You are always talking our ears off about him."

Yasopp laughed lifting Luffy up by the rim of his shirt. "About this age my son is! Usopp! Last time I saw him he looked just like me and his mother. He's going to be great one day. I'm telling you-", and he went on and on.

Shanks, watching the scene, suddenly paled to an unhealthy degree, eyes on Luffy.

Benn, watching too, found that at this point there was nothing unexpected anymore and turned to Shanks. "So, boss. Want a funeral at sea?"

* * *

><p>Sabo got up, squaring his shoulders only so that Ace would not see the defeat in Sabo's expression as he lifted the cover an inch.<p>

A hand clammed around his wrist in an iron hold. Ace's expression was spitting fire. Sabo knew that look well. Knew it so very, very well and it made his stomach turn to lead. "No."

Sabo stared, Ace glared.

"Do you think," he spat, "_this_ will make Luffy happy? Or keep him _save_?" His brother's eyes were so dark with emotion, looking like he once used to before they all got together, Sabo felt his body sink back down into the barrel against his desperate determination. The barrel felt far too small to hold so much anger yet even in the heated silence, he felt so much more at home at his foul tempered brother's side than he has ever with the nobles.

Ace broke the silence again, sounding calmer. "The moment he finds out why you aren't there, he won't be anything but miserable and then we are going to come for you again anyway."

They would. Sabo knew they would. It was so very easy to see Luffy stomp his foot angrily and glare in the best imitation of Ace that he could, and not even got about saving Sabo smartly. And Ace would hit Luffy on the head when he did something stupid to get noticed and Sabo could see it so very well, the thought of never again being part of it cracked whatever was left of his resolve.

"And aren't you running anyway? You are his big brother too and you can't just skip out on that. Got it! We won't let you."

"...But..."

"I don't care." Ace repeated stubbornly. "Luffy won't care. If anyone comes after you, we are going to beat them up. If that isn't enough, we are going to run. If they follow us into the mountains, then we will _leave_. Steal a ship and leave. Find some other place to train. Or even to the Grand Line. Got it?"

Sabo sniffed. "...yeah."

Then he farted.

* * *

><p>"Ahhhhh! Save me!"<p>

"You idiot!"

There was splashing, weeping, and laughter before a tiny figure was dropped back on deck, dripping wet but already plastering a brave grin on his face. "That wasn't scary." Never mind the tears or the snot or the red eyes.

"Liar!" The entire crew yelled, but quickly breaking down into hopeless heaps of laughter and teasing.

Luffy laughed along. "So will you take me with you now?"

Shanks felt a headache coming that had nothing to do with his hangover. Because (just for a split second) he actually imagined agreeing. Of that, only part was because he was scared of Ace's reaction. Or this other brother's (that he apparently had) reaction. "No. How about I tell you something about Devil Fruits instead?"

One day Luffy was going to become a pirate, so why not now?

It would fit Luffy well.

The kid was a like a whirlwind.

Plus, he made Shanks laugh like hell. Even now, as he was listening to rapt attention to Shanks spinning some tales about Devil Fruits with stars in his eyes, blurting in between with the craziest ideas. Just the mental picture of Buggy being compared to a game of hack-and-dice (whatever that is) with his red nose on top was sending him into a frenzy.

But Luffy was still just a kid. So no. So it was no till he was at least ten years older. Children had to enjoy their childhood. (No matter how doubtful that was with Garp as a grandfather. It was the thought that counted.)

Shanks was slapping his tight in laughter.

Another twelve hours till they were back at Fuusha. A bit of gallows humor never hurt.

* * *

><p>TBC...<p>

(Soon, hopefully...)


End file.
